O Serviço de Referência no contexto das bibliotecas universitárias federais do nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

This article aims to identify and analyze the ways in which the Reference Service develops in the library systems of federal universities in northeast Brazil. To this end, a documentary survey was carried out on the websites of the eighteen investigated institutions and an electronic questionnaire was applied to the librarians who work in these institutions. It was found that there are no guidelines in the systems analyzed for the performance of the reference service and traditional reference practices prevail with still few, but important, initiatives aimed at virtual reference service. It concludes by pointing out that the absence of guidance documents and artifacts dedicated to the Reference Service and the lack of support for professional training are some of the main difficulties faced by professionals. It also highlights the need to expand the virtual reference service and suggests possibilities for expanding this research.